Brendan Ryan

Ryan returned to the Yankees in early May after the start of his season was delayed by a back injury. He never got back on track at the plate, striking out in a career-high 24.2% of his plate appearances and hitting below the Mendoza Line for the third consecutive season. With the retirement of Derek Jeter, Ryan won't be considered for a starting role. Instead, he'll be used as a slick-fielding infielder capable of covering any position as needed, and likely coming off the bench as a late-inning defensive replacement to help the Yankees limit the wear and tear on their older players.

Ryan is the definition of an elite glove, light bat shortstop and he didn't do anything to change that designation in 2013, providing outstanding glove work but posting just a .550 OPS while filling in for Derek Jeter toward the end of the season. The Yankees re-signed Ryan for 2014 as insurance if Jeter isn't able to be their everyday shortstop, but even if Ryan does find his way into some extended playing time, he's much more valuable to the Yankees for his defense than he is fantasy owners, even in a hitter-friendly home park.

If defense was standard in fantasy baseball, Ryan would be a top pick. Alas, in the usual 5x5 setup, he might be the least valuable fantasy player in the league. Among players with 400 at-bats, Ryan finished last in average (.194), slugging (.278) and OPS (.555) last season. He did a little better in OBP -- fourth from the bottom at .277. On the basepaths, he stole 11 bags, but also was caught five times. His superior glove, though, is why the Mariners accept his zero at the plate, as defensively few can match his prowess. Ryan led all shortstops and was second in baseball with 27 runs saved last season. The next closest shortstop, J.J. Hardy (the AL Gold Glove winner at the position), totaled 18. Ryan had offseason surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow, which possibly contributed to his hitting woes. It'll take more than a repaired arm to make him a serviceable fantasy shortstop, though. "Shortstop of the Future" Nick Franklin is knocking on the door, but Seattle's content to go with Ryan at shortstop for at least this season.

Ryan's season was cut short last year because of lingering disk problem in his neck. As of December, he still had not been cleared to resume baseball activities, but he still expects to be healthy for spring training. He also dealt with wrist, shoulder and back injuries last season. Ryan will slot in as the starting shortstop this season. Ryan doesn't do much with the bat, but his glove is one of the best in the league. His main goal is health, however.

No one doubts Ryan's glove, which is one of the best in the league, but his hitting is certainly in question, and he never seemed in sync with manager Tony La Russa, either. It was better for all parties that Ryan was traded during the offseason to the Mariners. He hit a miserable .223/.279/.294 in 2010 but will get a fresh start as a utility infielder in Seattle with an opportunity to keep second base warm until top prospect Dustin Ackley is ready to move into the everyday role. Ryan will also handle the shortstop duties if the oft-injured Jack Wilson goes down again.

Khalil Greene's personal issues gave Ryan the opportunity to start 95 games at short last year. While he has nice speed, his lack of power and placement in the lineup made his .292 batting average fairly empty. He'll compete with Julio Lugo for a starting job, but the Cardinals have no shortage of middle infielders to take his place if Ryan doesn't hit.

Ryan, who was a bit of a sleeper going into last spring, hit just .244/.307/.289 in 197 at-bats last year. A March injury to his rib cage pushed him down the depth chart a bit. His speed and versatility are nice, but he doesn't really have a clear role on the Cardinals right now.

Ryan had a solid 67-game stint with St. Louis in his rookie season, hitting .289 with 30 runs scored. He emerged as St. Louis' top utility infielder, playing at least 17 games at second, third, and short, but Ryan's production tailed off as he hit just .167 over the last three weeks of the season. He's generally the kind of player that manager Tony LaRussa loves, so he'll probably be invited back in 2008, though he probably won't get as much playing time as he did in 2007 with the addition of Cesar Izturis.

Ryan played at four levels in 2006, but didn’t do much at any of them, amassing only 117 at-bats. He’ll be 25 by opening day, but is not expected to make much of a contribution at the big-league level until 2008. Ryan is a good contact hitter with a little bit of speed, but his upside is probably as a utility infielder or super sub.

After hitting .301 in 88 games for high-A Palm Beach, Ryan earned a promotion to Double-A Springfield. He was in a 1-for-24 tailspin before busting out of his slump and ending the year with a .273 average. Ryan is a solid contact hitter, but he possesses little power, with just three homers and 27 RBI in 2005. He's a very good defensive player, but his bat will most likely prevent him from ever being a difference-maker at the big league level.